Hilarious show, homage paid to the original, but glaring foundational issues

Pros: I love the original show, Der Tatortreiniger, but I have to admit, there is something to be said for being able to hear the jokes instead of just reading them in the subtitles. Greg Davies is hilarious in this, and I appreciate the tribute paid to the German original. (In the episode "Night Shift," when the bloody TV turns on the second time, it's playing a clip from the original show, which I thought was a nice touch.)

Cons: The only thing I disliked (which I did try to ignore, but it's such a fundamental part of the show, so I couldn't help but be irked) was the "crime scenes" themselves, and his cleaning of them.

In the very first episode, "The Widow," the man was stabbed 38 times, and the wife/killer was in the wind. Realistically, that entire house would still be an active crime scene and would be swarming with police and crime scene technicians.

That's one bit that I found kind of frustrating in almost every episode: When Wicky gets to each scene, the blood is still wet as if it were freshly shed. Sometimes there are still even numbered evidence placards there, while other times they should be there but aren't. In the episode "The Night Shift," the cops called him to the scene seemingly immediately after the person was killed, despite it being the scene of a botched robbery turned murder. That scene should be secured for dayyys!

Another incredibly unrealistic part is the bloodshed itself: In the last episode, the victim was shot with a crossbow and supposedly died instantly, yet the blood all over the walls is said to be from when the killer cut off the victim's head. It's arterial spray, meaning there's absolutely no way it could've come from an already dead body.

Another bit that bothered me right off the bat is in the very first episode when we see Wicky start cleaning. He's got his respirator mask hanging from his neck (instead of covering his face) while he's mixing harsh chemicals and cleaning up biohazard material!! Then later we see him scoop up chunks of bloody skin tissue with his bare, ungloved hands.

I know, part of me is annoyed at myself for being too nitpicky and taking it too seriously, but at the same time, these issues are kind of the foundation of the show, ya know?

In the original German version, the guy is clearly great at his job, and a huge part of that job is safety and PPE. As hilarious as the dialog is in this version, it's frustrating that they seem to have skimped on the essentials of the show.


I don't know if those issues are only annoying to those knowledgeable in the areas of law enforcement and/or death investigation, but I'd love to find out.

Overall, I did very much enjoy the show, mostly because of the humor and Greg Davies' antics, but I do wish it had been even slightly realistic in terms of the crime scenes and the cleaning.